- How To Scan For A Virus On A Mac
- How To Check If Mac Has Virus
- How To Scan For Virus On Macbook
- How Do You Scan For A Virus On A Mac
OS X does a pretty good job of stopping viruses and malware from attacking your computer. But it's a good idea to scan for malware to ensure your system is on the up and up. Scan images or documents using your Mac. If you have a scanner or a printer with a scanner, you may not need any special software to scan an image. Before you scan, you need to open your scanner. Then, follow the instructions for either a document-feeding scanner or a flatbed scanner. BitDefender, a big name in antivirus software, offers an excellent free option for Mac users that includes full system scans and the latest virus and malware definitions. OS X does a pretty good job of stopping viruses and malware from attacking your computer. But it's a good idea to scan for malware to ensure your system is on the up and up.
You may have heard it's said that Macs don’t get viruses. That there’s no Apple virus. You may even have said it yourself. Sadly, it’s not true. The latest State of Malware Report by Malwarebytes describes a significant rise of Mac threats of over 400% in 2019. The report claims that cybercriminals now target Macs severely, due to increasing market share. So, do you still believe that Macs don’t get viruses? Continue reading to discover how to remove a virus from your Mac and protect your files from getting infected.
Can Macs get viruses?
Macs have been considered safer than Windows PC for a long time. Macs are indeed secure, thanks to various built-in features, such as GateKeeper, that doesn't allow installing anything not approved by Apple. But, as the Apple security features have improved, so is malware. According to the State of Malware report mentioned before, Macs are mostly attacked by adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP), which macOS has no counteraction against. So, answering the question, yes, Macs do get viruses, and they may impact your sensitive file and data seriously.
How do I know if my Mac has a virus?
Before you remove a virus from a Mac, you need to be sure it actually has one. We’ve covered that in more detail in this article but here are a few pointers.
- Your Mac starts behaving erratically and doing things you don’t expect;
- Your Mac starts running very slowly as if something is hogging the processor;
- You start seeing adverts on your desktop;
- You find software or applications you didn’t install.
- An app asks for your administrator password
These symptoms may mean your Mac has a virus, although there could be other explanations.
How to remove a virus from a Mac manually
Thankfully, there are lots of ways to do it. And Mac virus removal doesn’t have to cost money.
1. Delete browser extensions
One of the most common types of malware comes in the form of browser extensions. Even extensions that aren’t particularly malicious can be annoying, and if you didn’t deliberately install them, they’re malware. Here’s how to get rid of unwanted browser extensions.
Safari
- Launch Safari.
- Click Safari in the top menu, then choose Safari Extensions.
- Look down the list and click on any extensions that look suspicious. Read the description of the extension. If you don’t remember installing it, click Uninstall.
- Repeat until you’ve removed all the extensions you don’t want.
Chrome
- Launch Chrome.
- Click on the 3-dot icon in the upper right corner.
- Select More Tools and choose Extensions from the menu that appears.
- Look over the extensions in the browser window and click Remove on any that you don’t recognize.
Firefox
- Launch Firefox.
- Click the 3-line (hamburger) icon at the top right corner.
- Choose Add-ons.
- Click the Extensions tab and remove any you don’t recognize.
2. Uninstall apps
Malware comes in lots of different forms. And it even comes disguised as security software to help you get rid of viruses! Devious, huh?
If you’ve inadvertently downloaded an app that turns out to be a virus, you need to uninstall it immediately. There are a couple of ways to do this. Here’s the hard way.
- Go to your Applications folder and drag the app to the Trash.
- Go to
~/Library
folder and look in the Application Support folder for any files related to the app and drag those to the Trash. - Look in the other folders in ~
/Library
, especially Launch Agents and Launch Daemons and remove any files related to the app from there. But be careful, if you remove files used by legitimate apps you could cause lots of problems. - Repeat Step 3 for your Mac’s main Library folder.
The easy way: Uninstall apps in a few clicks
- Download and launch CleanMyMac X.
- Click Uninstaller.
- Check the box next to the application name.
- Click Uninstall.
If you don’t know the name of the application, it’s more difficult. But if you use CleanMyMac X, all you have to do is scroll through the list of applications and look for any you don’t recognize or don’t need and remove them. CleanMyMac X removes every trace of an app, including files that you may overlook when you remove applications manually. This is particularly important for viruses, so it’s much better to use CleanMyMac X.
What makes this method even better, is that CleanMyMac X also shows you app leftovers that remained after the main app is gone.
What makes this method even better, is that CleanMyMac X also shows you app leftovers that remained after the main app is gone.
3. Escape the virus: Create a new user profile
Usually, viruses are attached to a particular user profile on your computer. In this way, they are able to seize control of your admin profile. But you can start if from scratch and create a new user on your Mac. Don't worry, you will be able to transfer all your important data from one user to another.
Go to Apple menu > System Preferences, click Users & Groups.
- Click the lock icon , then type in your admin password.
- Use the plus sign to add a new user profile.
To move your important information from one user to another, you will need to access the Shared folder.
How To Scan For A Virus On A Mac
- Click on the Finder > Go to Folder..
- Paste in this:
/Users
Can you see the Shared folder? Here you can copy the needed files from your old user account. Hurray, you've started a clean, virus-free life!
Bonus tip: Clean up your login items
Login items are apps that launch automatically upon startup. Malware programs would often sneak into your login items without you knowing. How to prevent them from launching?
- Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences.
- Click Users & Groups.
- Click on the Login Items tab
From here you can manage them using the [+] and [—] buttons.
How to remove a virus from Mac automatically
While the above steps work very well in lots of cases, sometimes the Mac virus removal means using a dedicated application to scan and remove malware from your Mac.
Scan your Mac for viruses
There are lots of these applications available, and many of them are either free or allow you to at the very least scan your Mac for free to find out whether you need to take action. Be careful, however. It’s important to choose a tool from a reputable vendor. If you just google ‘Mac antivirus tool’ some of the results may well be for tools that are themselves malicious and instead of removing viruses from your Mac will infect it. We recommend using CleanMyMac X.
It can identify thousands of malware threats, including adware, spyware, ransomware, worms, cryptocurrency miners. And if CleanMyMac finds something suspicious, it will offer immediate removal. Besides, it ensures real-time Mac virus protection, informing you when you’re about to install something harmful. Here’s how to perform a full system scan:
- Download CleanMyMac X (free download) and launch the app.
- Click on the Malware Removal tab.
- Click Scan.
- Click Remove.
Disable the invisible agents
Some small supporting applications never show up in the Login items. They are called the Launch agents and may as well be hacked by viruses. You can find them with the universal Mac cleaner, CleanMyMac. This app is notarized by Apple, so you are safe using it.
- Launch the app and go to the Optimization tab.
- Click Launch agents
How many apps do you see there? Remove any flash players, automatic updaters, or everything else that you find suspicious. Even if you deleted the main app itself, its launch agents may still occupy your drive. Here is what I have:
How to get rid of a virus on a Macbook Pro (or any other Mac) if all else fails
If you’ve run through all the steps above and are still having problems trying to remove a virus from a Mac, the next step is to restore from a Time Machine backup. The benefit of restoring from Time Machine is that you can do it quickly and easily by booting into the recovery partition and you can choose to backup to a state just before your Mac started behaving erratically.
The downside of this option is that any work you’ve done since the backup you restore from will be lost. You could manually copy files from your Mac to another drive or cloud storage service before you restore and then copy them back afterward. However, if one of those files is infected, you risk contaminating your Mac all over again. If there are documents you really need and that aren’t backed up elsewhere, use one of the antivirus tools above to run a scan on them before you copy them to another disk. That way you’ll know they’re safe.
Here’s how to restore from a Time Machine backup
- Make sure you’re connected to your Time Machine backup drive.
- Restart your Mac, holding down the Command and R keys until you see the Apple logo. When the macOS Utilities screen appears, choose Restore from a Time Machine Backup. Click Continue.
- Choose the last backup before your Mac started misbehaving or you suspect you were infected with a virus.
Your Mac will now return to the state it was in when you made that backup.
If you don’t have a Time Machine backup to restore from, the last resort is to reinstall macOS. This is a ground-zero approach. You’ll need to wipe your startup drive completely clean and start again. That means reinstalling all your applications and copying all your data back to your Mac afterward. If you have a recent backup of your data, from before your Mac became infected, you can use that to copy data from after you re-install. If not, you’ll need to back up important files now — but scan them with an antivirus tool first to make sure they’re not infected.
To perform a clean install of macOS, you’ll need a bootable installer disk. Creating one is beyond the scope of this article, but there is a comprehensive guide here.
Once you’ve made your bootable installer, plug it into your Mac, go to System Preferences, choose Startup Disk and select the disk you just plugged in. Restart your Mac, holding down Command-R and do the following:
- When the macOS Utilities screen appears, select Reinstall a new copy of macOS. Click Continue and then Continue again when the next window appears.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and select your Mac’s internal disk.
- Click Install. Wait for your Mac to restart.
- Your Mac will start up as if it’s a new Mac and you’ll need to go through the process of setting it up from scratch.
- Once you’ve set it up, copy back the files you need from the backup and that you know aren’t infected.
As you can see, there are many different ways to remove a virus from a Mac, depending on how badly infected it is and what kind of virus it is. The main thing to remember is if you suspect your Mac is infected, don’t worry. It can be fixed! Move on to our little Q&A section to find answers to questions many users ask.
FAQ
Do you need an antivirus for Mac?
Most of the antiviruses protect your Mac in real-time, making it apparent for you when an intruder appears. So, with antivirus software, you can be sure no PUP or adware can infect your computer. Antivirus is not a must-have software, but it indeed adds up a layer of protection if you use it.
Can you get a virus from opening an email?
Email viruses do exist, but you can’t catch one just by opening an email. What you need to be cautious with are email attachments. If you don’t know who that email comes from, avoid opening the attachment. It can contain PUP and other things you don’t need on your computer.
How to do a virus scan on Mac?
To do a quick virus scan, inspect your Mac for the software you didn’t intentionally install. Some apps can come in bundles hiding malicious programs that end up appearing on your Mac. For a more thorough virus scan, get CleanMyMac X. All you need to do, is to install the app, go to Malware Removal, and hit the Scan button.
How to remove fake “Update Adobe Flash Player” pop-ups on Mac?
How To Check If Mac Has Virus
Try to find and delete the last app you installed before you started seeing such fake alerts. Also, remove browser extensions from the web-browser where you see such pop-up ads. Some malicious extension can be responsible for this. If nothing helps, scan your Mac for viruses using the antivirus of your choice.
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The last thing you need to do is to shell out cash for a new computer or expensive repairs to fix yours. If your Mac or PC is on the fritz, use one of these free online security scanners to check for malware.
Scanning for malware with free and cloud-based software
There’s a big difference between free and cloud-based virus scanners and full-scale cybersecurity suites. Cloud-based scanners give you a quick overview of your system’s health.
Larger suites, on the other hand, are best for deeper cleaning and inspection. You shouldn’t expect a free online scanner to completely replace a robust anti-malware program, but these scans are a good way to get a quick checkup without waiting hours for a full-system scan.
Plus, free is the name of the game right now.
These services are all lightweight, speedy options for Windows and macOS systems. Before performing any scan, make sure to back up all your files in case of an emergency. Fixing your malware problem won’t do you any good if you lose all your data, right? Tap or click here to see the best way to back up your computer.
1. ESET Online Scanner
This free security program from ESET installs from your browser window and scans your system for nasty malware and other malicious programs. It works with Windows PCs and Macs. Just like a full-fledged anti-malware suite, ESET lets you quarantine questionable files.
This is extremely useful since some anti-malware programs will throw up false positives for suspicious-looking files and trash things you know are safe. Quarantining allows you to keep these files safe for inspection and protect the rest of your system.
To get started, head to the ESET website and click on One-time Scan. You can try ESET’s full security suite free for 30 days. Full subscriptions start at $40 for a one-year license.
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2. F-Secure Online Scanner
F-Secure takes the cake as one of the fastest online scanners around, quickly locating and destroying malware.
F-Secure installs a small file that communicates with the cloud to run. That means every time you use it, F-Secure is up to date with the latest malware definitions and security research.
![Scan Scan](https://www.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3594625/how_to_remove_mac_virus_free_xprotect_1084.jpg)
That’s vital with how quickly cybercriminals change and adapt.
On the flip-side, this lightweight program doesn’t give you as much flexibility as other anti-malware suites. You can’t specify which files you want it to scan. Once you click “scan,” the program does its thing and hunts down the bugs in your system.
If a one-size-fits-all scan works for you, head to the F-Secure site linked above and click on Run Now. Allow your system to accept the installer file, and you’re good to go.
3. Google Chrome (yes, really!)
Google Chrome’s built-in virus scanner doesn’t require any additional installation and simply runs in your browser window. All you need to do is type chrome://settings/cleanup in your address bar (or click the link) to access the program.
To use it, click Find and wait for the scan to complete. But before you do, make sure to read the data disclaimer. If you leave it enabled, you’re giving Google permission to analyze the information it gathers from your computer.
That’s not required to complete the scan, so we recommend leaving the box unchecked. There’s no reason to hand out more of your data than necessary. Tap or click here to see how you can find out what else Google knows about you.
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4. Windows Defender
Windows Defender is enabled by default and works behind the scenes. It comes standard on Windows 10, so there’s nothing to buy, install or configure.
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Windows Defender includes a user-friendly interface, doesn’t load your PC with bloatware and it requires fewer system resources than most antivirus programs. It’s a solid scanner and antivirus option, and even better paired with anti-malware protection.
5. Panda Cloud Cleaner
Panda Cloud Cleaner is another lightweight scanning program that can hunt down malware hiding out on your PC. Here’s how it sets itself apart from competitors: It includes rescue software if you’re unable to start your computer.
You’ll need a thumb drive to install the software, along with another computer to download it to.
To get started with Panda Cloud Cleaner, visit the homepage from the link above and click Scan Now to download the installer file. Follow the directions it shows to complete your free system scan.
For the rescue software, click Download Now and follow the directions on-screen to create your recovery drive. The instructions will also show you how to boot from the drive to start repairing your computer.
6. BitDefender
BitDefender, a big name in antivirus software, offers an excellent free option for Mac users that includes full system scans and the latest virus and malware definitions. It’s Apple’s option of choice and is available for download in the App Store.
The free scanner locates malicious files for you, rather than deleting them automatically. You’ll have to do that part yourself, but on Mac, that’s as easy as dropping the file in the Trash and emptying it.
BitDefender also has a free home network scanner that searches for vulnerable devices and passwords and offers detailed security recommendations. Tap or click here to try it.
If you’re using a PC, you’re better off sticking with one of the scanners above.
7. ClamXAV for Mac
ClamXAV is a lightweight, open-source anti-malware solution for Mac users. This one sets itself apart by just how few resources it uses. Unlike many other system scanners, you can run
ClamXAV in the background while you do other things. Handy!
It doesn’t run from your browser, so you do need to download and install the program. By default, Apple won’t let you install third-party software from outside its own App Store. You can enable this by opening System Preferences, clicking on Security and Privacy, then clicking on General.
Check the button that says “Anywhere” on the bottom of the page. You may be required to enter your system username and password before continuing. Once this step is complete, you can download and install ClamXAV. Follow the on-screen prompts.
8. Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is one of the most popular anti-malware tools on the market. It’s loved by Windows users, but the Mac edition is just as easy to use and reliable.
Malwarebytes is extremely fast and can scan your entire computer in as little as 30 seconds. It also identifies and removes malicious files for you once the scan is complete — no extra work required on your end.
To get started, click the link above and select Free Download on Malwarebytes’ website. The installer file will appear in your Downloads folder in the bottom right corner of your dock where all your program icons live. Click the file to open it, and follow the directions that appear when the program starts running.
Malwarebytes will run you through the process of your first scan once you boot it up for the first time.
Malware and cybercriminals are only making quarantine more miserable for computer owners. Fortunately, these security programs can take the pressure off your system and help you stay on top of the latest cyberthreats. Scan often, stay safe, and stick to familiar corners of the web to avoid getting “pwned.”
After all, you don’t need a sick computer when your own health should be your No. 1 priority.
How To Scan For Virus On Macbook
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Between Zoombombing and other facepalm-inducing security problems, the company has been working to quickly roll out updates to regain users’ trust. Now Zoom has released its’ biggest update yet and if you use the software, you need to change these security settings.
How Do You Scan For A Virus On A Mac
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